BRIGHTS BULLETIN -- OCTOBER 2009
Issue #75
http://the-brights.net/movement/bulletin/bulletin.html?b=75Morality is Natural!
How well-grounded in current scientific knowledge is The Brights' Net's supposition that human morality has natural underpinnings (no recognition of any supernatural foundations)? The Brights' "Reality about Morality Project" was launched in 2006 to find out.
Could we achieve authentication of this supposition by researchers in the field?
The four assertions Brights drafted have been reviewed and shaped by seven noted scientists and ethical philosophers, and so we can now issue some scientifically defensible declarations. The statements, grounded in current scientific knowledge, can become a foundation for developing educational materials and media strategies. We want to build a broader understanding of morality first within the constituency. Then, with interested and knowledgeable Brights at hand, we can subsequently turn out attention to educating the general public.
Look for a special emailed announcement on this topic in mid-October. By then, final statements and associated "substantiating studies" will have been posted on the website along with a panel-recommended listing of background readings. Any Brights wishing to become better versed in demonstrating that "morality is natural!" will surely be interested in those readings.
Action Forum's New Flyer
The "Evolution Flyer" produced within the international Brights' Forum has reached a form considered appropriate for distribution. (This Flyer is first in what is hoped to be a series of Brights-branded literature, produced through collaboration by Brights in consultation with Brights' Central.)
The technical details of hosting this piece on the-brights.net will be resolved soon; provisionally, US letter-sized and European A4-sized versions suitable for offset printing and a plain US letter version of the Flyer are available via this link. Stay tuned for further developments.
A Brights' Choir Anyone?
From Greg: "Hello from England. I was wondering, has there been any suggestion that any Brights might start a choir? London is a fairly tolerant city and the inhabitants are fairly Bright[ish?] by nature. Which is good, but it may be difficult to make them see the significance in a formal statement of the fact. I am writing in the fond hope that our friends in the US may have sufficient numbers to get the ball rolling."
Any suggestions from American Brights?
The State of Atheism in the US and UK
University of Cambridge - The "Investigating Atheism" Project. "The purpose of this site is to set these contemporary 'God Wars' in their historical context, and to offer a range of perspectives (from all sides) on the chief issues raised by the 'new atheists'. We hope this will encourage more informed opinion about the issues, discourage oversimplification of the debate, and deepen the interest in the subject."
From the Skeptic's Dictionary
Professor Robert Carroll, editor of the long-running Skeptic's Dictionary, gave the Brights a favorable mention in his "Why I am not an atheist" essay.
Excerpt: "I don't believe any gods exist, but I'm not an atheist any more than I am an asantaclausist or an aeasterbunnyist. Not believing in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny doesn't commit me to an ideology or belief system shared with others who reject the notion that such creatures exist. My disbelief in leprechauns doesn't unite me with millions of other aleprechaunists. The label of 'atheist' is one that theists use to create the illusion that their belief in spirits has some substance..."
Locked
Exploring the Illusion of Free Will and Moral Responsibility